


It's Just A Phase

by docmatthew



Category: Longmire (TV), Walt Longmire Mysteries - Craig Johnson
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkwardness, Coming Out, M/M, Multi, Period-Typical Homophobia, Walt is so awkward, probably a little ooc?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 15:25:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7111450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/docmatthew/pseuds/docmatthew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vic comes by to flirt with Walt and ends up finding out about him and Henry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Just A Phase

**Author's Note:**

> This was just something lame I put together to be fun. Probably a tad out of character but eh, I guess.

The sound of a truck pulling into the driveway was enough to wake Henry from his peaceful slumber. He blinked a few times and got up because whoever was pulling up would eventually knock and Henry didn’t want them to wake Walt. Henry pulled a shirt on quickly and his discarded jeans before walking out of the bedroom and away from a sleeping Walt into the living room.

Henry failed to catch the trespasser soon enough because just as he grabbed the door knob they knocked. He sighed softly and started to open the door just as the knocker started shouting. He rolled his eyes.

“Walt?!” It was Vic. Henry opened the door quickly but left the screen closed. He looked at her with the most unpleasant expression he could muster. “…Henry. Uh” She quickly tried to hide the six pack of beer behind her back. “What’re you doing here?”

“I _was_ sleeping.” Henry said with just a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Why’re you sleepin’ at Walt’s?” She questioned with big eyes.

“Because we had plans last night and this morning.” Henry crossed his arms over his chest, still staring at her through the screen door.

“Oh…Uh,” she bit her lip as he looked at her. “It’s like…almost four. Why were you still asleep?”

“What are you doing here, Vic?” Henry finally asked seeing as she wasn’t going to just leave.

“I just…wanted to come see Walt. See how he was doing.” She shrugged and looked anywhere but Henry.

“With beer?” He said unbelievingly.

“I guess. Where’s Walt?” She asked nervously.

“Sleeping. As I was.” He pointed out but just as he said that Walt came out of the bedroom and walked across the living room to the kitchen.

“Not anymore.” He called out as he come to a stop in the kitchen. He had pulled on jeans and a shirt as well. Henry closed his eyes and frowned before stepping aside and letting Vic into the house. “Something wrong, Vic?”

“Uh…no. Just…” She glanced at Henry who followed her into the kitchen. “Wanted to see how you were doing.” She placed the beer gently down on the kitchen table.

“She came to flirt.” Henry announced as he brushed past her, clearly in no mood for any of this.

“I—“ She shook her head and tried to seem nonchalant.

“You brought beer, the top button of your shirt is undone, and your hair is down.” Henry pointed out as he started making coffee. “You came to flirt.”

“W-What…That’s…no.” She shook her head and looked over at Walt for some help but her boss actually looked pretty amused by the situation as he leaned against the sink.

“He should have been a detective,” Walt pointed out with a grin.

“It was not a hard deduction to make, Walt.” Henry rolled his eyes.

“…I’m sorry. I’m obviously interrupting something.” Vic put her hands up as a show of surrender.

“Yes.” Henry said at the same time as Walt spoke.

“No.” Walt looked over at Henry then back at Vic. “Kinda.”

“Are you gonna elaborate or just…send me on my way?” Vic questioned. She felt more like an outsider in this situation then she ever had since meeting Walt and Henry.

“No.” Came Walt’s reply just as Henry stated his.

“Yes.” As Henry said that he stared hard at Walt.

“What?” Walt frowned and looked suddenly uncomfortable.

“She came here to flirt with you, Walt.” Henry pointed out again as he poured coffee into three different mugs. “She came with beer. Your favorite beer.”

“So?” He took the coffee Henry made and sipped it.

“You should tell her something so she does not continue trying to win over your affections.” Henry stated rather slowly like maybe if he spoke slow enough Walt would get it.

 “I obviously came at a bad time…” Vic grabbed the six pack off the table. “I’ll come back…some other time.” She started to duck away but Walt caught her.

“Uh…Vic.” He called to her and she turned around. “Perhaps you should…stay for coffee.” He spoke awkwardly and pushed the third mug towards her across the table. Henry looked oddly relieved for someone who had looked like he wanted Vic gone most of all.

“Look, guys…I don’t know what you had going on but I’ll leave you too it.” She shook her head but Walt’s pointed look was enough to make her slowly sit down.

“Uh,” Walt slowly sat at one end of the table with his coffee. “I don’t…”

“Walt,” Henry spoke up. “Your deputy is not a very good detective.” He pointed out.

“What?” Vic took great offense to that. “What the hell’re you talking about, Henry?”

“This situation.” Henry shrugged and sipped his coffee.

“What about it?” She glared up at him.

“How have you not figured it out?” Henry looked at least a little amused now.

“Henry,” Walt looked up at him and shook his head.

“No.” Vic glared at Henry. “It’s okay, Walt. _Should_ I be investigating the situation, Henry?”

“Perhaps.” Henry shrugged.

“Okay…you’re over here a lot. There’s nothing unusual about that.” She pointed out. “You make better coffee than Walt so nothing weird about that either. The only thing strange is that you two were still asleep when I got here.”

“Where did Walt come from when he walked to the kitchen?” Henry cocked his head to the side.

“The bedroom.” Vic shrugged, looking more confused by the second.

“Henry…you’re just being mean at this point,” Walt said quickly.

“Is the couch made up for a bed?” Henry prompted Vic who looked out into the living room to see that the couch was not made into a bed. “I think from that you should be able to draw a correct inference.”

Vic stared at him for a second as she processed that information. Walt looked into his coffee while Henry stared her down, just ready for her to say something. Then it started to click but Vic didn’t want to believe it.

“I’m guessing you two have shared a bed before,” she looked between them.

“In our youth and on camping trips.” Henry nodded. “Also, whenever we have a night alone.”

“So…” Vic looked between them for a long moment and Walt tried to act like he wasn’t there. “Henry, you’re gay?” She looked at him questioningly. “I thought you were with Deena at one point? Was she just your beard?”

“Beard?” Walt asked quickly.

“Fake girlfriend so he doesn’t seem gay.” She supplied which made Walt laugh.

“Henry’s not gay.” Walt told her. “I can attest to that.”

“Then what the hell is he going on about with you two sharing a bed and having a problem with me flirting with you?!” Vic was at her wits end with this conversation.

“You do realize there are other options besides simply gay and straight?” Henry spoke up again.

“Like…bi? Okay, if you two are screwing just say so.” Vic was flustered as she spoke.

“We are.” Henry said proudly while Walt turned a darker shade of red.

“Vic, look…I don’t want this getting out.” Walt said quickly.

“Wait…” Vic put up one hand to stop him from talking. “How long?”

“Since we were fourteen.” Henry supplied quickly just to see the looks on both their faces. Walt reacted like Henry had just said something terrible and Vic looked twice as confused as she had before.

“Henry, how was that helpful to this situation?” Walt glared at him.

“It is nice to finally tell someone.” He shrugged.

“You guys…have been screwing since you were fourteen?” She stared. “That’s…that can’t be true.”

“Why not?” Henry challenged and Vic looked up at him like he was crazy.

“Lizzie.” Vic stated and Walt shrunk into his chair while Henry glared slightly at him. “The night Walt called me to pick him up from the Red Pony…the Sublet home invasion? He was so broken up about calling Lizzie because he said he had cheated on his wife. If calling Lizzie for a ride home is equal to cheating in Walt’s book, after the fact that Martha had passed, then there is no way you two have been doing it since you were fourteen.”

“I may have underestimated you.” Henry smirked. “Martha knew.”

“Henry, do we really have to give out all the details?” Walt stood up and stared him down. “I know you’ve been itching to tell Vic but I’m not 100% comfortable with this conversation.” Henry finally looked slightly guilty.

“Sorry.” He said softly and put his empty mug into the sink. “I may have gotten carried away.”

“You think?” Walt sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Vic, please…can we keep this between the three of us?” Walt asked earnestly.

“You mean you _don’t_ want me to go around town telling everyone the sheriff is banging his male best buddy?” She made a debating face before rolling her eyes. “I get it. It’s Wyoming, Walt. Of course I wouldn’t tell people that. It’s like you people are still in the 50s.” She shook her head.

“Thank you.” Walt sighed heavily and relaxed then turned on Henry. “You owe me breakfast.”

“It is late afternoon. I owe you…dinner.” Henry countered.

“First meal of our day. It’s breakfast.” Walt sighed and rubbed his face.

“So…only you two and Martha know about your secret relationship?” Vic said and Walt turned around like he’d forgotten she was there.

“Uh…yeah.” Walt nodded and bit his lip. “She knew from the start. Actually…” Walt shrugged and looked a little embarrassed. “She kinda told me she knew rather than wait for me to tell her.”

“ _That_ was a conversation,” Henry chuckled.

“Walt, you have to be the luckiest man alive.” Vic stared dumbly at him.

“Why’s that?” He frowned and put his hands on his hips

“You found a girl that you obviously loved a lot that was okay with you having a secondary relationship with a boy you obviously love a lot.” Vic pointed out. “That’s like…winning the jackpot twice. Not to mention Henry being okay with you getting married.”

“Who says the relationship was secondary?” Walt smirked a little.

“…All three of you?” Vic had room on her face for more disbelief.

“It took Henry and Martha some time to get comfortable with each other that way but…eventually it happened.” Walt told her as he poured more coffee.

“Now who is telling too much detail?” Henry glared as he got out the things to make breakfast.

As Henry started working on Walt’s breakfast Vic sat there staring at her coffee. She had no problem with the relationship but was rather dumbfounded that she’d missed it. Back home she had plenty of gay friends, even a few gay cop friends and she had always been able to pick up on it. Perhaps they were just that good or maybe she had just figured no one is Wyoming did that sort of thing.

“I think we broke Vic,” Henry stated as he cracked an egg and Vic looked up at them.

“Vic, you alright?” Walt worried his lip.

“Yeah…” She nodded. “Just…wrapping my head around all this, I guess.”

“Is there…I don’t know, something I can do to help?” Walt looked pained as he offered and she had to laugh.

“No. It’s not in a bad way. I’m just kicking myself for not picking up on it.” She explained.

“Walt and I have spent many years crafting our abilities to hide it.” Henry told her. “Except for the time we got caught at school.”

“Oh god. Not this again…” Walt groaned.

“What the hell happened?” Vic looked up at them with keen interest.

“Walt kissed me in the boy’s locker room after gym and the PE teacher caught us,” Henry explained. “They threatened to inform our parents.”

“Did they?” Vic questioned.

“No. Thank God.” Walt mumbled. “We were put in a sort of…after school program.” He shrugged.

“After school program? Like scared straight?” Vic frowned.

“The school brought a therapist in to speak with us for six weeks.” Henry said as he fixed Walt’s plate and held it out to the other man. “Attempting to explain to us that what we felt was a phase and we should just wait for it to be over rather than act on our impulses.” Henry smirked and Walt looked a tad smug as he sat down with his food.

“Yeah…looks like you really grew out of it.” Vic laughed. “Did you guys like…stop for a while? What happened?”

“We had sex for the first time.” Henry told her and Walt turned extremely red.

“Henry.” He glared more but Henry just smirked.

“What?” He went about making himself food. “Vic is obviously fine with our relationship.”

“Doesn’t mean we have to tell her all about it.” Walt grumbled.

“I think Henry really wants to tell me stories.” Vic smirked at Walt who glared at her now.

“Walt is a very private person,” Henry informed her.

“I am _painfully_ aware of that.” She rolled her eyes. “What was your first kiss?”

“We don’t…really have to do this, do we?” Walt stared at his food.

“I think you should let Henry express himself.” Vic told him. “It sounds to me like he’s been dying to tell someone about you two.”

“He has.” Walt gritted his teeth.

“So…first kiss story?” Vic asked excitedly.

“That story, I cannot tell.” Henry told her honestly as he sat his plate down. “Do you want anything to eat, Vic?”

“No. I ate already.” She shook her head. “Why can’t you tell it?”

“I do not remember it very well.” Henry’s eyes narrowed as he attempted to fully remember the story but like always he couldn’t.

“Why the hell not?” Vic sounded so disappointed that Walt winced.

“Ask Walt.” Henry told her as he started to eat.

“Walt, please!” Vic pleaded and Walt finally caved.

“…We were in eighth grade.” He started but reached across the table to grab a beer. He wasn’t going to start telling these stories sober to his deputy. “Henry was waiting for me in the parking lot with our bikes. I’d forgotten my book inside. When I come back out Henry was…fighting with a few high school boys. There was about four of them and he wasn’t doing the best since he probably weighed 100 pounds at the time.” Walt shrugged. “So, I ran up and attacked them for attacking Henry. We fought and one of the boys shoved Henry hard enough he tripped backwards and hit his head on the bike rack.”

“Ouch.” Vic winced in sympathy.

“Agreed.” Henry noted.

“After the boys left I helped Henry sit up.” He shrugged. “We sat for a while because I didn’t think he could ride his bike with how dizzy he looked. I was trying to make sure his nose wasn’t broken and he pushed my hands away. Instead of shouting at him like I normally did I kissed him…” Walt was bright red at the memory. “He nearly passed out after.”

“I woke up in the clinic a little while after and had no memory of the kiss. Or…not a good memory. I thought it was a dream.” Henry laughed but Walt looked anything but amused. “At least I do not remember by accident instead of by choice.” He gave Walt a pointed look.

“I didn’t choose to not remember, alright? That situation was…a mess.” Walt shook his head.

“What do you mean?” Vic looked between the two.

“Walt does not remember our second kiss,” Henry told her. “A few weeks after that happened I noticed that Walt was not his normal self around me. I organized a camping trip for just the two of us so that I could corner him into talking.” Henry explained. “I did not know what could be bothering my friend so bad so I brought my father’s bottle of vodka to help him loosen up.”

“We all know Walt needs help loosening up.” Vic teased but she got a glare from Walt in return but she just smiled back.

“Anyways, Walt drank three fourths of the bottle—“

“That’s…an exaggeration. Henry drank just about as much as me.” Walt countered quickly.

“I did not.” Henry shook his head. “Eventually Walt confessed that he thought I was upset with him because he kissed me.” Henry told her. “I then explained that I did not remember him kissing me because of the head injury. He looked so shy…I leaned over and kissed him back.”

“And I don’t remember it because I was thirteen and drunk.” He defended himself.

“Is this just a continual trade off of not remembering each other’s kisses?” Vic felt a little sad that their first kisses had been like that.

“I think we both remember the third kiss.” Walt said over his fork with that touch of smugness on his face that just irritated Henry.

“I do believe I recall that one,” Henry nodded.

“Do I get a story for this one too?” Vic asked excitedly.

“We were at my parent’s house…alone,” Henry started and Walt just grunted to express his displeasure about this story being told. “We ended up wrestling over the last snack. I won, of course.”

“You say that like you always beat me,” Walt said quickly.

“I did.” Henry pointed out. “I won and I had him pinned on the floor. I started to eat my snack and he threw me down onto the carpet and instead of going for the part still in my hand he kissed me.” Henry took great pleasure in the uncomfortable look on Walt’s face. “The encounter was rather…”

“Steamy?” Vic grinned.

“Yes.” Henry nodded. “We stopped a few minutes into our exploration of each other’s bodies when my mother came home.”

“Damn, Walt. Three kisses and you’re giving it up already?” Vic teased him. “So, how long after that did you guys get caught in the locker room?”

“The following year. First week of high school.” Walt told her as he stood up with his empty plate and went to clean it off. “I figured out quickly that kissing Henry was the best way to get him to shut up.”

“He was being a smart ass then?” Vic was delighted to bring out these stories.

“Smart ass? Yes. Very.” Walt nodded as he returned to the table. “All the other boys had left the room and we were fully dressed. He made…some remark that pissed me off and instead of punching him in the face I kissed him. Coach Reynolds walked in as we pulled apart but any idiot could have figured out what we’d been doing.”

“If you had only seen his face you would have thought that Walt and I had murdered someone.” Henry shook his head. “He took us directly to Principle Farlow, we found out later that he had been having affairs with men for years.”

“He didn’t want to get us in trouble with our families for something like that,” Walt told her. “Don’t know what it’s like where you’re from but kids who engaged in that kind of behavior here tended to get hurt or shipped off to some boarding school.” Walt frowned. “Farlow didn’t want to see that happen to us so he did the therapist thing to cover his tracks but not get us in trouble.”

“Dr. Carson Drake.” Henry said softly. “He spent the first week attempting to scare us with religion until I told him I did not think the Great Spirit cared who I kissed or loved as long as I was an honest person and good warrior.” Henry and Walt shared a look over that statement. “After that it was all the ‘it is a phase’ talk.”

“He told us we shouldn’t act on our feelings because it was a phase and we didn’t want to ruin our lives with something so stupid.” Walt rolled his eyes. “Henry spent most of those six weeks making a fool of the man.”

“I did.” Henry said smugly. “Eventually he quit.”

“That was a good day,” Walt said softly. “We went to the office he was using for us and Farlow came down to tell us that Drake decided he would no longer be working with us.”

“After that Walt was a lot more cautious about our affections,” Henry said fondly.

“So, when’d you guys have sex? After Drake quit or…?” She pressed.

“The first day he told us it was a phase,” Henry informed her. “It was a Friday and my father would be working all weekend while my mother went on a small trip. Walt came over…and we decided that we would have sex then afterwards decide if it was just a phase or not.”

“Are you going to give her all the details, Henry?” Walt looked stressed again.

“So we can tell her our kissing stories but when it comes to sex we cannot?” Henry countered.

“Kissing and sex are two different things. Sorry I don’t wanna give her all sorts of details about our sex life, Henry.” Walt rolled his eyes so hard Vic thought he might explode.

“I did not give her any details that were graphic or explicit.” Henry reminded him.

“No, but if you keep it up she’ll start asking for them.” Walt looked over at Vic.

“I wouldn’t…ask for too much.” Vic blushed. “Okay. For once Walt’s right.”

“Thank you.” Walt sighed and rubbed his chin. They were all quiet for a few moments then Vic spoke up because she couldn’t just leave it at that.

“So who was on top?” She grinned and Walt threw up his hands while Henry tried to cover his laughed.

“I think if I were to answer that then Walt would kick me out,” Henry pointed out.

“I bet I could guess,” Vic smirked. “And you don’t have to say a word for me to confirm it.”

“Really?” Henry looked intrigued while Walt look horrified.

“Yup.” She looked between the two of them for a couple seconds. “Walt was on bottom.” She smiled at her boss who as soon as those words left her mouth he looked away. “And there was my confirmation.”

“I retract my earlier comment about you not being a good detective, Vic.” Henry told her and patted her shoulder.

“Vic…I think perhaps you should leave.” Walt said quickly.

“Why?” She pouted. “I’m enjoying all these stories.”

“Exactly and you’re encouraging Henry,” Walt pointed out.

“Fine,” she sighed dramatically and stood up. “Go about your day, boys. Try not to have too much fun.” Vic pushed the beers towards them. “In case Walt needs to forget another kiss.” She smirked.

“Thank you, Vic.” Henry took the beers and put them in the fridge.

As Vic walked to the front door she could hear Walt whispering at Henry heatedly and Henry replying just as softly. She leaned back when she reached the door just in time to catch Walt kissing Henry hard, probably because of some smart ass comment. She smiled a little to herself and left the cabin.  


End file.
